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Senate advances comprehensive health-care reform bill, asks members to review over weekend
Summary
Senators debated and amended Senate Bill 110, an omnibus health-care reform package addressing Medicaid expansion, dependent coverage to age 26, continuity of coverage, small-group insurance reform and malpractice provisions; leadership moved the bill to third reading so members can review it alongside House Bill 130 over the weekend.
Senate leaders spent an extended period discussing Senate Bill 110, described by sponsor Senator Holmgren as the result of two years of study and committee work to address rising health-care costs and expand access in Utah. Holmgren summarized key elements of the omnibus proposal, including seeking federal waivers to reshape Medicaid delivery, extending COBRA-like continuance from two to six months for laid-off workers, expanding access to primary care and modifying UMAP participation. He also described a proposed dependent-coverage amendment that would allow dependents through age 26 to retain eligibility and clarified that employers, families or individuals could carry the premium responsibility.
Holmgren framed the bill as a package of cost-control measures and access expansions: changes to uniform claim reporting, financial disclosure, small-group reforms (covering groups of one to 15 employees) and protections for continuity of coverage and preexisting conditions when moving between employers. On malpractice, the bill expands the duty-system litigation panel and includes other liability adjustments. Holmgren said the committee made technical corrections and that a comparison sheet to House Bill 130 had been distributed for side-by-side review.
After questions and a technical change (moving an insertion to the correct line numbers), Holmgren moved that SB110 be considered for third reading but asked senators to use the weekend to review the bill and the comparable House measure. The motion carried and the bill was placed on the third-reading calendar to allow members more time to examine amendments and fiscal impacts.
What happens next: SB110 will be available for senators to study over the weekend; leaders indicated they will try to reach final action on Monday after members have had time to review the side-by-side materials. No final substantive vote on adoption was recorded in this session; the body recorded only the motion to move the bill ahead for further consideration.
